A pleasant surprise awaited guests attending the launch of the 2019 Subaru Forester at 80 LMR on Lady Musgrave Road in St Andrew last Friday.

The event, hosted by Kingston Industrial Garage (KIG), saw the vehicle driven onto the roof of the popular venue.

“The 2019 Subaru Forester is targeted at the discerning buyer for whom safety and the latest features are important,” said Jerry Panton, KIG managing director.

The Subaru Forester makes the shift to Subaru's new global platform endowing it with increased safety, refinement and performance over the outgoing model. Externally, the look is more evolutionary with updated LED lighting front and rear. The Forester gains a 1.2-inch increase in wheelbase brought on by the new chassis, which also allows 1.4-inches of extra rear legroom. To help them get inside, the rear door openings are also larger and redesigned to allow better entry and exit. The front passengers aren't neglected either as they gain in space as well as the new platform does without a manual parking brake making the Forester's centre tunnel thinner.

Subaru's infotainment system gets a few tweaks for usability, while interior material quality and variety also have been increased for 2019. Convenience features like a rear power gate are now available.

“The geometry of the four-wheel independent suspension has been optimised for stability. The steering retuned, the transmission reworked for better power and efficiency, handling, comfort and safety. We are also now able to offer Subaru Eyesight, the most sophisticated driver assistance technology available in the world to the Jamaican market,” Judith Denton, KIG sales and marketing manager, explained further about the benefits of moving to the new global platform.

Eyesight Drive Assist technology uses a suite of cameras and sensors to monitor traffic to provide four main features, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, pre-collision braking and throttle management. It can also monitor the driver for distraction or fatigue, all with the goal of keeping the occupants safe.

Included with the news of the new vehicle was an announcement of the partnership between KIG and CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank that will allow those wishing to get into any Subaru or the other brands the company represents priority loan processing and package financing deals.

In addition to Subaru, KIG is the authorised dealer for Ford, JEEP and Yahama motorcycles.